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This guide is designed to help staff at informal science education organizations and others who are interested to develop, implement, and evaluate activities and events that incorporate the multi-directional dialogue and mutual learning at the heart of public engagement with...

Nano is an interactive exhibition that engages family audiences in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. Hands-on exhibits present the basics of nanoscience and engineering, introduce some real world applications, and explore the societal and ethical implications of this new technology....

The Creative Reinvention sustainability activity shows visitors how common waste materials can be recycled, reused, and reinvented into brand new products—a process called the "*circular economy*." Activity cards ask visitors to guess what recycled materials were used to make various...

"Exploring Size - Ball Sorter" is a hands-on activity in which visitors use sieves with different-sized holes, to sort balls by size. They learn that researchers are developing new technologies that can sort nano-sized things, including filters with nano-sized holes.

In this Building with Biology activity, visitors consider the potential advantages and disadvantages of various areas of synthetic biology research, before investing in them with "tech tokens." Then, visitors assume the role of a different character, and consider how that...

"Nanotech and Consumer Products" is a public presentation that introduces audiences to the growing role of nanotechnology in making consumer products, and encourages them to consider the potential environmental and health risks. During the presentation, visitors are guided through questions...

In this activity, learners make a toy bot with a surprising ability: it scribbles on a sheet of paper. The activity is designed to prompt conversation and reflection about responsible innovation, inspired by themes raised in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein.

In the first part of the "Robots & People" program, visitors learn what robots and nanobots are, what they can do, and how they affect our lives. In the second part of the program, visitors imagine and draw a robot,...

"Exploring Materials - Stained-Glass Windows" is a hands-on activity in which visitors use contact paper and colored tissue paper to create a "stained-glass" window. They learn that real stained-glass windows use nanoparticles to create some of the colors in the...

This is a portable table-top bilingual (English/ Spanish) exhibition designed for outreach. The exhibition invites visitors to explore the secrets of nanotechnology in settings such as community fairs and science festivals. All components were designed and developed to be easily...

Duke University researchers explain the relationship between nanomaterials, in particular nano silver, and their potential impact on the ecosystem. To see the video and learn more about the Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology at Duke, visit the resources...

In this activity, learners make a voltaic pile, the first kind of battery. The activity is designed to prompt conversation and reflection about responsible innovation, inspired by themes raised in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein.

This hour long classroom program introduces nano science and nanotechnology as a leading, cutting edge science with an emphasis on nano in nature, health, energy and the environment. The class includes a PowerPoint presentation, three minute video, nine self-guided activities...

To address this challenge of depicting a world we can't see, the NISE Network Visualization Laboratory at the Exploratorium invited artists and scientists to explore ways of representing the nanoscale through a series of commissions, installations, and residencies in 2006....

"Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard?" is a public presentation which introduces audiences to the increasingly frequent use of silver nanoparticles in consumer products. During the presentation, visitors are guided through questions such as: What is nanosilver? Why is it used in...

Museum visitors are contestants in a game show that encourages them to learn more about nanotechnology. The three rounds included here cover an introduction to nanotechnology; provide information on nanoparticle solar cells; and express the concerns people have for nanotechnology....

This guide is focused on "three big ideas" that can provide a framework to help museum staff and visitors feel empowered to reflect on the relevance of nanotechnology in their lives through open-ended conversation. The guide considers how new nanotechnologies...

This is a recording of a NISE Network online brown-bag conversation held in 2013. This brown-bag conversation focuses on how the intersection of nanoscale science and food. Presented by: Frank Kusiak of the Lawrence Hall of Science. For more information,...

"Kitchen Chemistry" is a live stage presentation about recognizing and exploring the science that we practice every day in our very own homes. We take a look at the chemistry behind a seemingly simple bowl of spaghetti – from boiling...

In this activity, learners make an automaton, a moving mechanical device that imitates the movement of a human, animal, or other living thing. The activity is designed to prompt conversation and reflection about responsible innovation, inspired by themes raised in...

"Exploring Products - Nano Food" is a hands-on activity exploring how nanotechnology may be used in food products. Visitors investigate how the size of salt crystals may allow for lower sodium, but still full flavor foods.

The "Nano & Society" poster series provide an entry point for exploring the relationship between nanotechnology and society. They can be displayed on their own, used to spark an open-ended conversation, or paired with suggested activities.

Project

Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network

Kit

NanoDays kit

Product

Pagination

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